Process of reducing ores.



JOHN HERMAN, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA;

' PROCESS .OF REb'UCING GEES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Original application filed September 15, 1905, Serial No. 278,652. Patent No. 831,160, dated September 18, 1906. Divided and this application filed March 1%, 1906. Serial No. 305,983.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it" known that I, JOHN HERMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State'of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Iniprovcinents in Processes for Reducing Ores, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention has reference to a process or reducing ores to a metallic condition, and

fuel is burned. In virtue of the step described, it will be observed that the oxids are reduced to metallic globules if the temperature is higher than the melting point of the metal reduced or to a powdery mass it the tem 'ierature is low In the event of the ore to be treated bearing copper and being comparatively free' from acid destroying components, I prefer to produce the metal at a low temperature and extract the copper through the agency of a solution of cupric chlorid and salt, and electrolyze the cuprous chlorid, resulting from such operation, with a deposition of copper and the regeneration of cupric chlorid in accordance with well known reactions- CuCh-l-Cti QCiiCl 2C1:Cl+current=CuCl,l-Cu.

If preferablethe same results may be attained by substituting ferric chlorid for cupric chlorid as follows Fec1,+ou=ouc1+1 ec1,. By electrolysis CuCl-kFeCh Cu-I-FeCh.

With a view of utilizing the full heat.

value of the fuel, I inject air into the ore compartment at a point where it will not interfere with the subsequent reduction of the ore. I prefer to inject this air into a body of descending ore at a point above that at which the ore is reduced, and to de pend on such air to burn or promote the combustion of the surplus carbon monoxid and liberate heat, whereby the ore is heated before entering the reducing part of the ap- 'paratus or furnace employed. ginother adof carbon monoxid to carbon dioxid less than 2:1 iron oxids will not be reduced to metallic condition, The ratio of the gas may be and preferably is controlled by the depth of the fuel 'bed;

My process is, materially advantageous since it provides a meansifor obtaining copper or other metals without the use of fluxes or acids,and the absence of molten slag renders it feasible to dispense with Water jack-- ets for the furnace. It will also be noted that my process is economical because of the utilization of the inexpensive hot blast to reduce fuel consumption.

I am aware that attempts have been made to reduce oxidized ores by mixing ore and fuel direct. When this is done, however, the portions of ore nearest the points of entry of the blast are necessarily exposed to oxidation, thereby defeating the object of treatment.

I am also aware-of methods for reducing iron ores, but lll these no attempts have been made to isolate different metals nor to render the ores suitable for the treatment pro the ores with a chlorid solution adapted to no "generating chlorid at the anode suitable for t treating fresh charges of ore Whlch has been W1tnesses;

extract the copper, and then electrolyzing my hand in presence of two subscribing Witthe resultant solution 'of the chlorid to pro- I nessea duce metallic copper at the cathode and re I JOHN HERMAN reduced. GEO. R. HrLL,

' In testlmony. whereof I have hereunto set J. \Vmxlmuolsn. 

